


And it all went down in flames

by Wintermoon33



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Death, F/M, Its a sort of Maze Runner AU, Like lots of it, Post-Canon, Romance, Tragedy, all manga events canon in this story, idk why i wrote this, set in the canon universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-07-25 20:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16204778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wintermoon33/pseuds/Wintermoon33
Summary: The world of the Poke dex holders has been normal up to this point; relatively peaceful, even with those evil teams lurking around. But what happens if the world becomes ravaged with fire and disease? Can the Dex Holders survive the apocalypse? (Manga verse)





	1. It begins

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So, this is my very first fan fiction. This like an AU for The Maze Runner; however, it occurs in the canon universe. I know long works like these are hard to read if you are reading after the story concludes, or a little before that, and you might want only the fighting, the action or character death. As such,for those that only want that and not the rest, I'll mark the chapters in the top notes to help you out.

             

Red watched his friends with a smile, laughing as Gold accidentally smashed the table with his pool cue for the twentieth time. Blue had gathered a “grand meeting” of the Dex holders at a cafe in Lavender Town; ever since the Sinnoh trio had joined, they had begun to meet regularly and frequently, despite the complaints of Green. As expected, such a gathering always ended in chaos, but hey, they had fun- and Red wasn’t complaining.

“So, Crystal,” said Blue with a smirk on her face. “Have you confessed your feelings for a certain _someone_ yet?” smiling, she leaned closer. “Don’t lie to me, I _know_ you like him.” Crystal choked on her drink, her cheeks flushing. “Me? Like _him_? Blue, it’s not going to happen. The very idea...!” she looked around nervously, hoping the comment had gone unheard; fortunately for her, all the attention was now focused on Ruby, who was trying to put Sapphire in a frilly dress.

“Come on, Saph! You’ll look so cute! Why must you dress in such an… _uncivilized_ manner?!!!”

 Sapphire simply growled, pushing herself away and scratching at Ruby. “Shaddap, Prissy boy! I am not going to get all dolled and fancy like some village maiden, ya hear?!” with a hiss she raked her sharp nails through the delicate fabric, tearing it; Ruby screeched with horror, clutching the apparel like a lifeline.

“How could you?!! That was silk, Sapphire, SILK! Do you KNOW how expensive that stuff is?! I can’t believe you!” Sapphire snorted. “It’s your own fault for tying to put me into that thing, ya dummy.” Ruby ignored her, busily trying to repair the damaged dress or at least salvage the fabric; Gold laughed, finding the whole situation amusing.

“Oh, don’t worry, Prissy Boy. I’m sure Wild Child is just too embarrassed to let you see her all cute and dolled up. Isn’t that right, Wild Child? Ow! What the hell, Silv!” he cried, flinching as Silver smacked him over the head.

“Don’t bully our juniors,” he said cooly. “It’s humiliating to think we are from the same generation of Dex holders.” Gold snorted. “Who are you, Crys?! Honestly, I’m starting to regret chasing you down way back then, could have saved myself from your boring presence.” “Shut up,” growled Silver. “It was your choice to follow me; I never even _wanted_ you to come long, dumbass.”

Gold snickered. “Did I hurt your feelings, Silvy?” he asked, arching his eyebrows mockingly. “It’s SILVER, you moron! And you did NOT hurt my feelings!” cried Silver; he jerked his arm back to punch Gold in the face, but Green grabbed his fist before he could try.

“You guys are bothersome. If you want to fight, take it outside, where you won’t bother us.” He let go slowly, sighing. “I cannot believe Pesky girl would think this is a good idea. You and Gold, Ruby and Sapphire, Blue… hell, even Red causes a ruckus wherever he goes.” Red laughed awkwardly, scratching his head. “Ha, guess I can’t argue with that! But… isn’t Emerald a trouble maker too?”

Emerald looked up from his drink, an offended look on his face. “Hey! Don’t compare me to Gold or Saph, what the hell?!!” Green sighed. “Yeah, Emerald’s also part of the issue. To have us all in one place is a terrible idea. The only generation with three calm, sane members is the Sinnoh trio, which happens to be the newest and the _youngest_ generation of all of us.” he gestured to Platinum, Diamond, and Pearl, who were playing a card game.

“Hah! I win!” cried Pearl, setting his last card on the pile. “Better luck next time, Dia. You put up a good fight though, miss.” with a grin, he took a swig of his soda. Platinum sighed; then, she looked up. “Please, Pearl, may we play again? I must get better at this game.” she picked up the stack and began to shuffle them, sipping her tea as she did so.

“Well, I’m done playing,” said Dia, taking a huge bite of his cake. “I just want more food.” Pearl sighed. “Dia, you always want more… whatever. Sure, miss, we can play another game.” he paused, looking outside. “Man, it is way too hot for April… hell, it’s too hot for July. I thought I would burn to death coming here. What is going on?” Platinum shrugged. “Perhaps the sun is just very bright today,” she said. “Shall we begin our game?” Pearl simply grinned; the two began, forgetting of their conversation.

 “It was really hot today, wasn’t it?” said Red to Green. “I never thought this sort of weather was even possible.” Green yawned, all ready missing the solitude of Professor Oak’s lab. “Does it matter? There is air conditioning here, and we don’t have to leave until evening.” He rolled his eyes as he watched Ruby once again tried to force Sapphire into feminine attire, failing miserably.

“Besides, it’s been getting hotter and hotter for the past three days. It’ll blow over soon.”  Red nodded, turning to talk with someone else; Green sat back in his chair, closing his eyes as a pool cue flew across the room. This was going to be a long day…

 The deafening blare from the cafe TV startled Green into to the waking world. _How long have I been asleep?_ He wondered. He glanced over at Red, confused. “Red? What’s going on?” he got only a confused shrug; as he swept his gaze over the rest of the Dex holders, he got the same result.

Seeing that he was wasting his time, Green glanced up at the television, which read “ _EMERGENCY ALERT”_ in bold text. “That’s odd,” he mused to himself. “Is an evil team trying to take over the world again?” he settled back into the chair, attentively watching the screen.

 

_Alert. Alert. Astrologists have discovered astronomical sun flares spiking from the Sun and rapidly approaching Earth. It is predicted that roughly five minutes remain until the flares make contact with the planet. Please find a safe shelter to reside in for protection. This is an Emergency Warning. Please find shelter._

 

 A confused murmur spread throughout the cafe. “What the hell are sun flares?” asked Red, blinking confusedly. Nobody answered, lost in their own thoughts and questions; shouts broke out from the other customers, adding to the growing chaos.

 “Look, right now we need to find a more secure place to be,” snapped Green, slamming his fist on the table to gather the attention of the Dex holders. “You heard the warning. I’d say get to the-”

At that moment, the temperature outside increased ten fold; the air conditioner seemed non existent, swallowed by the new wave of suffocating heat. Suddenly, there was a scream; looking outside, Green saw lashes of fire slam into the earth, setting everything it struck ablaze. Like the heat, the chaos too rose to an unbearable degree- glasses shattered, and cries and screams filled the air.

“Alright, calm down. The plan is still the same, we should go further into the building, where the water-” he was interrupted again, this time when the shrill cries grew even louder, and somehow it was even hotter than seconds before. Looking up, Green could see why; he exchanged a panicked glance with Red and Blue, trying to figure out what to do next. Time was running short, and they had little left.

 

The front wall of the cafe was on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dex holder Ages 
> 
> Kanto- 18, 17 for Yellow   
> Jhonto- 16   
> Hoenn- 15   
> Sinnoh-14


	2. Escape from Hellfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not even 24hrs, and a new chapter! My uploading schedule won't be nearly as good in the future. Since I don't want to spoil the story or anything, the death and injury notes I mentioned earlier will be included in the end notes instead; just scroll down to see them. Chapters will be roughly this long, perhaps even longer.
> 
> EDIT: I added to the chapter! There is now a brief section centering on Crys, plus extra sentences at the end to add to the travel and the cave parts.

Yellow awoke, and the first thing she was aware of was the unbearable heat. Second, the sound of screaming and crying; and third, the fire that now ravaged the building. 

It was all so confusing- when she had fallen asleep,it had been serene and peaceful... it seemed like only moments ago. But now… now, everything had gone wrong.

“Red-san, what…” she looked up to the boy- no, the _man_ she loved. Yellow trusted Red; surely, he would know what do. 

The maroon eyed Dex holder looked back at her, his eyes shining with a fear Yellow had never seen from him before. “I… I’m not entirely sure. There are these things called sun flares hitting Earth, and setting everything on fire.”

Upon hearing that, Yellow felt panic seize her heart. Sun flares? Everything on fire… for a moment, she felt hope and joy seep out of her soul.

 “Hey, hey. Yellow, look at me. You are going to be fine, Yellow. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise, okay? Just trust me.”

Red pulled Yellow into his arms protectively; Yellow blushed, her cheeks turning red despite the dire situation. “Okay, Red-san. I trust you. What… what do we do next?” 

This time, it was Green who replied, his voice monotone and serious amid the chaos. “We call out our water pokemon, and put out the fire. Got that, everyone?” 

He raised his voice to address everybody in a clear, commanding tone, and Yellow couldn't help but admire his incredible leadership skills; this wasn't the first time she felt this way, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. 

A murmur of agreement rose from the Dex Holders as they summoned their water pokemon as Green had asked; Yellow called out her Omny, determined to be helpful.

Taking a step back from Red, who had summoned his Gyra, Yellow gathered her wits and gave Omny her command. “Omny, water gun!” 

Around her, Yellow could hear similar commands; calls for Hydro cannon, surf, water pulse and more filled the air. She stepped back, expecting a tidal wave of water to erupt and extinguish the fire- but a moment, two, three, passed, and it never came. 

“What…” Yellow looked down at Omny, confused, only to be met with a look of equal bewilderment. She watched as her pokemon tried, again and again, to call up water to blast at the flames, only to release nothing but steam. 

This… this was bad. Yellow felt dread seize her mind; with a swift glance, she confirmed that none of the water pokemon were able to call up any water. What could they do now? Their best chance at beating the flames was now gone, and they were short on alternative options. 

 _No_ , Yellow thought, pushing away the darkness. _I can’t give up, not yet. Trust Red-san. We- we can figure this out._   The fire had now spread considerably, and smoke clouded the air; debris began to fall in huge, blazing chunks, tearing holes and making the situation worse. 

_Think, Yellow. What do we have on our side? Think types… besides water, what is strong against fire?_

For a moment, Yellow lost herself in thought, trying to find a solution; then, it hit her. _Rock and Ground types are resilient to fire!_

“Red,” she whispered, trying to get his attention. Instantly, he turned to face her, concern on his face. “What is it Yellow?” Fighting to keep the nervous anxiety out of her voice, Yellow spoke. 

“We should, um, call back our water pokemon and bring out our earth and rock types instead… we can use them to create a path outside though the fire. Just one, like Silver-san’s Ryperior, should work” she shifted nervously, unable to look Red in the eyes out of embarrassment. 

Red smiled, his eyes lighting up. “That’s a great idea, Yellow!” he turned to find Silver, calling out to him. “Hey, Silver! Can you use your Ryperior  and making a path to escape from?” 

Silver nodded, reaching for his pokeball to summon the rock pokemon; time was really running out, and by now, all four walls of the cafe were ablaze- Yellow was finding it hard to remain conscious, coughing and trying to keep the smoke out of her lungs. 

“Ryperior, find a weakened wall and break though it to create an opening!” Silvers shout was higher than usual, even a little panicked- unusual, given his emotional range was roughly the same as Green’s. 

The Ryperior obliged, crossing the building to wall that was thinner than the rest; with three strikes, it tore a large hole, big enough for several people to fit through at once. 

“Guys, lets go,” shouted Green. “We have to hurry, the roof is coming down!” The building shook, and indeed the amount of debris falling down increased; the fire had spread to the floor, and was approaching quickly. 

With a nod, Yellow followed Red; a desperate crowd has beginning to form at the exit as people desperately tried to escape. 

It seemed like a minute and an eternity at the same time before there was enough space for Yellow and her friends to push through- behind them, more people pressed against them in a chaotic attempt to flee. 

“Go, go!” Red pulled Yellow through the opening, reaching to draw the others out as well; first was Dia and Pearl with Platinum between them, trying to shield her as best they could. 

Yellow watched,fearful as her companions came through the exit one by one- Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald, followed by Green, and then by Blue, who was holding onto Silver. 

The only ones left now were Crystal, who had been trapped behind a wave of other people, and Gold, who had dropped back to ensure she got out alive; they struggled to reach the front, where their friends awaited them anxiously. 

 _“_ Come on!” yelled Silver, barely managing to keep the panic out of his voice. “You have to hurry. There isn't any time left! Gold, you ass, move faster!” 

More voices joined his, calling for the Jhonto Dex holders; Yellow shut her eyes, unable to watch. _Please, please let them make it… don't let them die… not like this. Please…_

 

When Gold woke up this morning, this was not the kind of day he was expecting to have. 

Yet here he was, surrounded by literal hell fire, trying to escape it’s clutches. In front of him was Crystal, trying to remain calm but failing somewhat; ahead, the crescendo of voices urging him on.  

Things were not looking good. The whole building would come out down _very_ soon, and each second spent inside was another second closer to death. 

 _Oh, why did we have to choose such a popular and crowded place to meet?_ Gold hissed, trying to keep his strength as he drifted in and out of focus, smoke making him groggy and disoriented. 

He could see that Crystal was succumbing to the smoke too, and knew that they were now running on literal seconds. Luckily, the exit was now only a few steps in front of them; just a little bit more, and- 

Suddenly, a large piece of flaming wood broke off from above. Screams somehow grew even louder, as the thing hurtled downwards… 

Straight towards Crystal, unaware of the peril as she waited for him. 

Not happening. Gold would _never_ let anything harm Crystal, even if it cost him his own life. The others may call him selfish, but if it was himself or them… the choice was obvious, and especially so with Crystal. 

Collecting all of his strength, Gold threw himself forward, into Crystal. The girl, not expecting this, flew forward; out of the building, into safety. 

There was just enough time for Gold to release a relived sigh before the debris struck his back; heat, pain, the sound of of his name being screamed a hundred times over- it all melted together, and he could see nothing but red. 

 

For a moment, she was confused. What happened? Crystal sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Gold?” The boy did not respond, which was strange, because Gold rarely, if ever, ignored her. 

Her eyes widened as she saw him, stuck underneath a slab of burning wood. Forcing herself on her feet, she rushed to him. 

“Gold? Gold! Gold, please answer me. Gold!” The boy groaned softly, barely conscious. “Crys…” 

Crystal flinched, tears running down her face as he said her name. “You idiot! Why would you do that? Now you're hurt, and… and!” 

She broke off sobbing, while her inner self screamed at her to get help, to do _something,_ because she _refuses_ to lose him like this. 

Steeling herself, Crystal took hold of Gold’s hands, and with a heave, she began to pull. Soon, Green and Red joined her; together, they pulled Gold out from underneath the debris and started dragging him back. 

With a pained whine, Gold cracked open his eyes to look at Crystal before slipping back under. “Because it was worth it, Super serious gal.” 

 

 Silver thought his life was hell when he was under the control of Pryce, the masked man.

He didn't think it could get any worse; this belief was reinforced when he escaped, eventually defeated Pryce, found friends who cared for him and managed to obtain peace. 

Even when his father, Giovanni, died two months prior, he felt okay; Gold, Crystal, and Blue had been there for him. Those three were the only people he ever cared for; they, along with his new found peace, had been his entire world. 

Now, however, that peace was gone- replaced by fire and pandemonium. His definition of hell changed as he watched his friends try to reach safety; his desperation, his fear, it all rose to new heights. 

And to top it all off, one of those three people he cared for so much was just struck by debris. 

For a moment, shock flooded his body, and he couldn't move. 

Then, the shouts of the Dex holders shook him; he watched as they, along with a near hysterical Crystal, pulled his friend out of the blaze and began to move him away from the former cafe, and he jumped in to help. 

Together, they got some ten feet away, and just then, the rest of the building came down, almost certainly killing the dozens left inside; Misty River Cafe was huge, and could host upwards of a hundred guests at a time. 

Right now, though, Silver didn't really care. He could hear the gasps and heavy hearted sighs of the others, but he just cared about making sure the people he cared about stayed alive; and right now, one of them was in danger of not living to see another day. 

Silver met Crystals eyes, and together, they examined Gold to determine the damage. 

It was bad. 

Burns covered his back, stretching to his arms, legs, and neck; the form of his ribs suggested that they were broken, which could mean internal damage. The medical kit wouldn't help too much with this, and Gold’s breathing was shallow- too shallow, as if it would stop at any moment. 

“I can help.” Yellow’s voice broke Silver’s thoughts, and he looked up at the girl, whose face was filled with worry and determination; suddenly, he remembered that the older Dex holder had healing powers. 

“Th-thanks,” he mumbled, stepping back to give Yellow space; beside him, Crystal had erupted in a flurry of thank yous and other words of gratitude. 

Yellow placed her hands on Gold’s chest, concentrating, and as her healing abilities seeped into him, his breathing steadied and the burns receded a little bit. 

There was too much for her to heal completely, however, and after a few minutes, she grew tired and fell asleep; Silver caught her, and then Red took the sleeping girl and held her in his arms, like he had all those years ago at Sevii. 

What Yellow managed to accomplish appeared to have saved Gold’s life, and bought them more time; he didn't seem to be on the brink of death anymore, and Silver was grateful- he would have to thank Yellow again when she woke up. 

“We should find a place to regroup,” said Red. “There are some caves a little ways from here; those should be safe. We’re still in danger here, the flares are still coming down.” 

Silver and the others nodded, and Crystal called up  Megaree, placing Gold on it’s back, using the Meganium’s vines to secure him gently.

For a moment, though, they remained as they were. 

Dia and Pearl sat beside Platinum, comforting her. 

"All those people in the Cafe..." she sobbed. "And my father- what if- what if he's-? 

Dia rubbed her shoulder gently. "There's nothing me can do, missy. I'm... I'm sure your father is alright, and worrying about you." 

He then pulled her into a group hug with Pearl, and the three stood up. "Let's go." 

Everybody stood up, and exchanging a solemn look with one another, they began to trek in search of a place to stay. 

As they went along, they saw dozens of charred bodies, burnt trees and ruined buildings, as well as survivors who all had a stunned, dead look in their eyes. Even though it was only mid afternoon, the sky had gained a reddish tint- as if the world was signifying that nothing would ever, ever be the same. 

For the duration of the journey, the Dex holders were silent; the shock had worn off, but concern for their families and other friends ate away at them from the inside, and no one was in the mood for small talk or jokes. 

 

While he had no family, Red felt guilty that he couldn't save those other people in the cafe. What good was he, if he couldn't help others around him? What was the  _point_ of being a Dex holder? Hell, he hadn't even been able to get all of his friends out unscathed, and now Gold was hurt. He should have  _done_ something, something more. If only there had been more time... 

He hardly noticed when, after  roughly forty minutes of walking, running, and trying to avoid being hit by the flares, the Dex holders at last found a secure, undamaged cave big enough for all of them.

Crystal, Silver, Blue and Sapphire dug into the medical kit to continue treating Gold. 

"Sapphire, do we have burn cream?" asked Crystal softly. "Yellow won't be able to heal him more until later..." she rummaged through the the bag, reaching for anything that would be helpful. 

"Yeah, we do," said Sapphire. "It's not a lot, though. Hey, Prissy boy!" Ruby sat up, startled. "Sapphire, my expertise is outfit making, not healing."

Sapphire snorted, irritated. "Ya still have yer sewing stuff? Something tells me Gold's gonna need to have his clothes fixed- oi, Silver, hurry up and give the guy a painkiller, or the he is gonna be miserable all night. " 

"Well... yeah," said Ruby. "Sure, I can do that." he reached into his bag and pulled out his needle, ready to do a little work- he was glad for it, anyways, as it would give him something to focus on besides what had happened.

"Say something encouraging," hissed Red into Green's ear. "Or tell them what to do so everyone else isn't  just confused and disoriented." 

“Ok,” said Green slowly. “Aside from Crys, Silver, Blue and Sapphire, everyone just relax for a little bit. It’s been a rough day, and we all deserve some rest.” _Understatement of the year,_ he thought grimly. 

Silently, aside from Ruby's quiet complains about the state of Gold's jacket, the others dispersed into the cave, settling down. Green sat by Red, suddenly exhausted. 

“What a day, huh?" Red's voice was bright with false cheeriness, and it rang through the cave. "It was interesting, at least?” Green snorted. 

“That, Red, is a very light and simple description of our day.” Red shrugged. “Well… We’re all alive, right?” 

Green looked outside, and seeing the burned, charred landscape in the distance, he felt hopeless. Suddenly, he didn't want to talk anymore. Red seemed to feel the same, because his eyes clouded over, and he shrank into self a little bit, not looking at Green- though they didn't know it, they were thinking the same thing. 

_For now, yeah, we’re alive. But with everything that’s just happened… what kind of future lays ahead?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major injury, Action 
> 
> I could have made the trek to the caves longer, I suppose, but wouldn't have really served the story well. We'll be seeing more interactions and stuff next chapter!


	3. Discussion and Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dex holders settle down for a little bit, but not for long. A decision has to be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the third chapter! Sorry it took so long. It's a lot shorter than what the average chapter length is meant to be, but hey, the next one is extra long... so it all balances out. There's some more important notes after the chapter, but for now just read and enjoy!

After they finished treating Gold, Sapphire found Emerald and sat beside him. Neither knew what to say- what on Earth were they supposed to talk about? Anxiety and desperation began to consume her, and she couldn't focus on anything else. 

Her father, at his lab. Did he make it? He had to have, right? There was no way he was just… gone, before she could even say goodbye. And yet… 

Had they not barely escaped themselves? Had they not been mere inches away from death? If it wasn't for Silver, the quick thinking of the other Dex holders, surely they would have all been dead as well. 

And what about those other people in the cafe? They died, even though they were under the exact same circumstances as she had. How could she say with certainty that her father hadn't met the same fate? 

It wasn't even just her father she worried for. Winnona, Wallace, Wally, Steven… was it really plausible to think they were all alive and well? 

No, she couldn't keep thinking about this. It would eat away at her, consume her; she could not allow that to happen right now. She had to find something else to do, something to give her purpose. 

Sapphire looked around the cave before her eyes settled on Ruby, who was still trying to repair Gold’s jacket. Sapphire smiled; if there was one thing she was grateful for, it was that Ruby and Emerald were both alive and well. 

How long had they been in the cave? Sapphire couldn't really tell; her sense of time seemed to have warped, but if they had time to give Gold medical treatment… at least an hour or two must have passed. 

Sapphire knew this wasn't good for any of them, this period of nothingness. Everyone would be worried for their families, and their negative emotions would only manifest if they remained here. 

So, what did she want to do? That, at least, was obvious. She wanted to return to Hoenn and check on her loved ones. Surely, everyone felt the same; they must all be itching to do so. 

Sapphire knew what she had to do now. Forcing herself onto her feet, approached Green; the older boy was tapping his foot, eyes furrowed with concentration. 

“Senior Green?” The senior Dex holder looked up, startled. “ Yes, Sapphire?” 

“We should,uh, decide our next move. It isn't doing anyone any good to just sit around. We should call the Dex holders together and… well, discuss it, ya know?” 

Green paused, thinking. “Sapphire… we’ve barely been here three hours. Is it really-”

“We don't have ta take action now, Senior Green. Just talk and decide what it is we all want ta do.” 

Green nodded. “I see your point.” He looked over at the other Dex holders; standing up, he nudged Red awake. 

“Everybody but Gold, come here. We need to talk.” 

Everyone rose and sat down in a circle around Green and Red- some tired looking, others sharp, alert, and even exited. Nobody spoke, although the anticipation was so thick it may as well have been physical; Sapphire sat beside Ruby, attentively looking at Green. 

“We can’t just stay here forever. We have to choose what do from here; so, voice your opinions. We’ll all decide together after some ideas have been put out.” 

Pearl paused for a minute, debating whether or not he should speak or remain silent. 

“Well, shouldn’t we go out and some food and medical supplies? It was just dumb luck that Blue happened to have a well equipped First Aid Kit in her bag, but that isn't going to last.” 

“Excellent point,” said Green calmly. “All right, first suggestion is to gather supplies. Anything else?” 

She had to speak. Without really thinking, Sapphire stood up again, facing the rest of the group. 

“Well, I think we should split into teams and go check up on our families. With our bird pokemon, it’s not gonna take long. We’re all worried about the people we care about, ya know?” 

There was a faint murmur of agreement, and Green nodded thoughtfully. “Also an excellent suggestion. Does anyone else have an idea?” 

A full minute of silence passed; Sapphire watched as Green met the eyes everyone in the group, including hers. 

“All right then, it seems we’ve come up with two options. Does anyone want to debate for one or the other?” 

Crystal sighed. “Is this really a debate? We all want to go with Sapphire’s suggestion.” A murmur swept through the group, until finally Red’s voice rose above them. 

“But isn't getting supplies and stuff to keep us alive and safe more important at the moment? Finding our families won’t do us any good if we’re nearly or all the way the dead. We can’t go looking without supplies, right? 

“We can each gather personal supplies during our searches! We can’t waste any more time; what if they're in danger and need help as soon as possible?” asked Crystal. “Anyways, instead of arguing, I think a vote is the best way to go about this.” 

“That’s fair,” mused Green. “All right, who likes Peals idea? Raise your hand.” The hands of Pearl, Dia, Red, Emerald, and Blue went up.” 

“Who likes Sapphire’s idea?” Everyone else raised their hands, outnumbering the previous votes. 

“Ok, Sapphire’s suggestion it is. We- we can spit into teams, according to region. Someone needs to stay with Gold, though. Who?” 

Silver shrugged. “I can do it. I haven’t got any family, not since Giovanni died.” He looked down at his feet, trying to ignore the inevitable wave of sympathy he loathed so much. 

“I don’t have a family either, so I can stay here too- besides, my healing powers are too valuable for me to leave Gold,” said Yellow, glancing at Emerald. 

“And since Gold can’t go check on his family, maybe Emerald could go in his place? With Silver staying behind, that only leaves Crys on the Jhonto team.” 

Emerald nodded. “Of course I can do that! It’s not like I have a family to search for, either. But when should we leave?” 

“Well, obviously we ought to wait the night out,” said Blue. “We all need rest and a bit more recovery time after today.” 

“But we still haven’t got much supplies; between the stuff Gold, Blue, and Dia miraculously had in their packs, it’ll last one night, tops; and even less so with water- there’s only three bottles for all of us to share, and as much of that as possible should be left to the people saying behind. Aren’t we better off leaving sooner, and finding some resources for the night?” 

Green sighed. “All right, settle down. To leave right at this moment is absurd. We’ll preserve the rations for Gold, Yellow, and Silver and stay here for the night. then leave early in the morning. Does anybody have a complaint?” 

Only silence followed. “Well, then get some sleep. This isn't like the battles we’ve fought in the past; this is different.”

He looked around at the group, reality weighing down heavily on his shoulders. “The world has changed, probably forever. This is a battle for survival.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... there's a relatively calm chapter after the initial action! Anyway, I just wanted to say that instead of just working on this fic alone, I'll be trying to routinely upload one shots or 1-3 or so chapter fics (possibly up to 10 if I'm carried away) that aren't related to this story. Some will be fun and light hearted, and others... well, I love angst. One shot #1 should be coming along sometime this week, possibly tomorrow, with chapter 4 slotted for a similar time frame if I'm actually a decent human being for once and work. Thanks for reading!


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